Morning Update: Ding-Dong!

Hostess Brands, Inc. — makers of Wonder Bread, Ding Dongs, and Twinkies — are closing three bakeries in response to a nationwide strike by its bakers union.

Over 30% of Hostess workers decided to walk off the job. The message to 627 workers in Seattle, St. Louis, and Cincinnati was: ding-dong, your jobs are gone!

Hostess CEO Gregory Rayburn pulled no punches. He said while the company deeply regretted closing the plants, the union had been warned repeatedly there would be closures if the company could not Â“produce and deliver products because of a work stoppage.Â” And get this. Rayburn told the union Â“we will close the entire company if widespread strikes cripple our business.Â”

The union went on strike because the company wanted wage and benefits concessions in order to help it emerge from Chapter 11. This is the second time in the last decade Hostess has had to reorganize under bankruptcy protection. This time they cite increasing pension and medical costs for employees as a key reason.

Labor costs are one concern. The company is also facing increased competition in the snack-food sector — at a time when thereÂ’s no shortage of liberals demonizing snack foods on a regular basis.

So. If the union continues their strike — despite the repeated warnings, and now plant closures — the days of Twinkies and Ding Dongs may be just another memory of an era gone by!